Prosecutors seek 50-year sentence for woman in arson attack

2008 apartment blaze injured boyfriend's lover, 2 children

September 02, 2010|By Jeff Coen, Tribune reporter

Federal prosecutors are seeking a 50-year prison sentence for a Chicago woman who allegedly led an arson attack on her boyfriend's lover and the woman's children, pointing out in court documents that she has questionable supporters writing character letters on her behalf.

One letter written for Margarita "Flaca" Gonzalez apparently was penned by her half brother, Heriberto Viramontes, who was charged with attempted murder in this spring's high-profile assault with a baseball bat on two women in the Bucktown neighborhood.

Gonzalez, 26, was in federal court Thursday along with Rafael Polanco, 27, who allegedly had a sexual relationship with the victim before helping Gonzalez set fire to her apartment. Both have pleaded guilty in the fire that injured the victim and her two young daughters.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer said she would consider an enhanced sentence for Gonzalez, and is expected to decide Friday on the length of time Gonzalez will spend behind bars. Pallmeyer listened Thursday to brief testimony from the victim before speaking behind closed doors to her daughters, who were 6 and 3 at the time of the November 2008 blaze.

Back in open court, the judge called the girls beautiful, but said they suffered from permanent disfigurement and scarring. She called the crime "astonishing, shocking and hideous," and noted it had been committed over petty jealousy.

"It's stunning that anyone would take such a step," said the judge, who also was shown graphic photos of the girls' injuries.

Federal authorities said the quarrel started when Polanco and the victim had sex to get revenge on Gonzalez and another man, who also had a relationship with the victim. But Polanco then helped Gonzalez torch the victim's car and then her apartment in the 5600 North Elston Avenue.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Nasser argued Gonzalez should be eligible for an extended sentence. The blaze, set with gasoline at the victim's door, quickly burned out of control in a 12-unit apartment building where 20 people were sleeping.

The fire "certainly was not just to scare the victim," Nasser said, noting that Gonzalez had made statements about the victim stating, "I'm going to (expletive) her up. I'm going to burn her house down."

Gonzalez then lied to law enforcement about the crime and got her family to cover for her, Nasser said. She had dropped off her own child at a relative's home on the girl's birthday so she could use a birthday party as an alibi, she told the judge.

Gonzalez's attorney, Patrick Boyle, said the fire was "grossly reckless and inappropriate" but there was no clear intent by his client to kill. Gonzalez didn't appreciate the danger of fire, he said, calling the dispute the result of "drug-fueled, paranoid rage between the parties."

Gonzalez's half brother, Viramontes, was charged in April with beating Stacy Jurich and Natasha McShane as they walked in Bucktown. His letter was not immediately made part of the court record.